1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to labels or tags, generally supplied, or at least manufactured in the form of a strip having a large number of consecutive, separable units. Such labels or tags commonly have at least one surface for the display of information thereon relating to the particular product, i.e., product name, manufacturer, use or care instructions, price, etc. Labels or tags of this type are generally used by retail stores for marking of the goods available for sale. The labels or tags are also generally configured with an arrangement for fastening the labels or tags to an object, or can sometimes simply be sewed on, or possibly stapled or pinned, when the object has at least a fabric portion. Alternatively, an adhesive could be used for fastening the labels or tags to solid objects.
The provision of the labels or tags in the form of a strip of separable units provides for the easier handling and/or application of the labels or tags by the retailer. For the strip of labels, there would generally be a substrate, or backing sheet, having the adhesive labels detachably bonded thereto, and for the strip of tags, the tags can be made from a paper-like material, i.e., a thin cardboard, for example, and the tags can essentially be interconnected. For such tags, it is common to provide a continuous strip of the paper-like material with perforations defining the individual tags, wherein thee perforations allow for relatively easy separation of the individual tags from one another.
Another common label or tag of the type described above is a label or tag configured for the protection of the retail goods from theft. In this case, the labels would be provided with a detectable security element, which security element, unless deactivated or removed, can trigger an alarm device upon passage through a detector. Such labels or tags are typically manufactured by putting together a cover layer and a security element, whereby when the label or tag is applied to the product, the cover layer essentially hides the security element from easy viewing by a potential shoplifter. In the case where such a tag might have two visible sides, a second cover layer can also be used, with the security element disposed between the two cover layers.
2. Background Information
It is known for commercial establishments, such as retail stores, to protect articles of particular value against theft by affixing a security element mounted in labels or tags to the articles, end installing an appropriate detector in an exit area to interact with the security element. The security element interacts with the detector upon the movement of the security element within the threshold of the detection area. The security element interacts typically electromagnetically, that is, through high-frequency waves, or magnetically. Accordingly, when a security element, not previously deactivated by the sales personnel, is passed through the detector with shoplifting intent, the detector should respond, issuing an audible and/or visual and/or electronic warning signal.
Conventionally, such security labels are supplied on substrates to which they are fastened by means of adhesive bonding. The substrate and label material are preferably configured so that the adhesive stays with the label material rather than on the substrate upon removal of the label from the substrate. When labelling articles, the sales personnel essentially only need to detach the labels manually, or alternatively by means of a suitable hand-held labeller, from the substrate, and then secure the labels subsequently to the appropriate article by means of the layer of adhesive provided on the rear side of the label. Alternatively, the articles to be protected may be provided with security labels already at the manufacturer's site or in distributing centers.
To protect all labelled articles against theft, all of the labels supplied on a web or a roll of substrate are equipped with security elements, and the security elements are mounted invariably at the same location on each label. Because each label is provided with a security element the price of the security labels can be considerably higher than the price of conventional labels.
It is considered a disadvantage that the price of the security labels is rather elevated, being primarily due to the electromagnetic security elements integrated therein. In-depth studies have revealed that a maximum financial return can be obtained by protecting only a certain percentage of the articles exposed to the risk of theft. However, the potential cost savings are essentially nullified because of the need to use two different types of label, that is, protected labels, and non-protected labels, under which circumstances, the articles provided with non-protected labels can then easily be recognized and removed with preference. Moreover, labelling or tagging articles with two different types of labels or tags proves a time-consuming task.
It is a further disadvantage of conventional security labels that the electromagnetically active elements are invariably positioned at the same location on each label. Thus, a potential shoplifter would generally have little difficulty in recognizing the protected labels, removing the label, and carrying the then unprotected article through the surveillance gates unhindered.
A known and somewhat generic method of manufacturing such labels is disclosed in German Patent No. 4238145 A1. In this known manufacturing method, a backing strip is unwound from a roll and is coated with an adhesive, whereupon a continuous, magnetically soft metal strip, which strip acts as the security element, is applied to the backing strip. Then, a cover layer is applied to the adhesive backing, and the material is then punched or stamped into the form of labels or tags.
In the known manufacturing method, continuous metal strips are used as electromagnetically active or activatable security elements. These metal strips extend in the axial direction over the entire length of a strip of labels, and thus also over the entire height or width of a finished, punched label or tag. On large labels, therefore, the surface area of the security elements is excessively large, and a significantly smaller surface area would be sufficient to guarantee reliable detection. On account of the large surface areas, the price of the labels is proportionately increased, and the disadvantageous consequence is that the labels or tags are expensive to produce.